Hi everyone, I’ve been lurking for a long time and finally decided to post. I want to share my journey of self-studying Spanish and passing the DELE B1 exam over the past year. Just a year ago, I was a complete newbie who could barely manage a proper hola or gracias. Now, I can actually have small conversations with my neighbors here, which feels like a huge accomplishment! I hope my experience can offer some encouragement and guidance to fellow Spanish learners.
My Learning Path and Resources
My core philosophy was: focus on textbooks, supplement with apps, and practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing concurrently. Whatever you do, don’t just memorize vocabulary lists. It’s incredibly boring and you’ll forget everything easily. I’ve organized the resources I used below, so you can pick what works best for you.
Core Textbooks
I primarily used the Modern Spanish (现代西班牙语) textbook series. It might be a bit dated, but its explanation of the grammar system is exceptionally clear. I worked my way through the first two volumes. Additionally, for exam prep, I highly recommend the DELE preparation series published by Edelsa, especially Preparación al Diploma de Español. It’s very targeted.
Supplementary Tools
- Apps: Duolingo is decent for getting started and maintaining a feel for the language, but don’t expect to get very far with it alone. Later on, I mainly used Memrise for vocabulary, as its video examples are very practical. For listening practice, I recommend iVoox, which has all sorts of native Spanish podcasts. You can find simple ones based on your interests.
- Dictionary: Get SpanishDict on your phone. Besides looking up words for your self-studying for DELE B1, its verb conjugation feature is an absolute lifesaver!
- Practice Tests: In the month before the exam, I completed all the sample tests I could find on the official Instituto Cervantes website. Getting familiar with the exam’s rhythm and question formats is crucial.
My Schedule
Because I was teaching myself, consistency was key for my Spanish self-study. I basically guaranteed 1-1.5 hours of study time every day, with more on the weekends. Below is a rough breakdown of my schedule. I wasn’t super strict about it, but this was the general direction.
| Study Phase | Daily Duration | Key Focus |
|---|
| Months 1-3 | 1 hour | Pronunciation + Modern Spanish Vol. 1 + Basic Grammar |
| Months 4-8 | 1.5 hours | Modern Spanish Vol. 2 + Started listening practice with apps |
| Months 9-11 | 1.5 hours | DELE prep books + Skill-specific exercises |
| Final Month | 2 hours | Grinding past papers and mock exams, finding a language partner for speaking practice |
Finally, I want to say that there are no shortcuts to learning a language; dreaming of becoming fluent in a month is impossible. The most important thing is finding a method that works for you and sticking with it to achieve goals like Spanish B1. B1 is just the beginning; there’s still a long way to go before I can live in Spain fluently. I hope everyone can find joy on their Spanish learning journey. Let’s keep it up! ¡Ánimo a todos!
